After spending the summer in the spotlight for negative reasons, former Milwaukee Bucks guard Malik Beasley may be back on the court soon. However, as reported by EuroHoops.net via Nova.rs, Beasley is nearing a six-month deal with Partizan Belgrade, a Serbian club. The scandalized starter can now show what he's made of once again as he guns for an NBA comeback.
Malik Beasley is out to prove himself, but gambling allegations live on
After a strong season with the Detroit Pistons, allegations arose over the summer that Beasley had been gambling on prop bets and games. The bets in question reportedly came when the guard was with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he was a starter for most of the 2023-24 NBA season. He has since been cleared of the allegations, but stateside teams are still wary of bringing him aboard.
The allegations have really thrown Beasley's career off the rails. Prior to them, he was destined to sign a three-year contract extension worth $42 million with the Pistons. Following a second-place finish in last year's Sixth Man of the Year race, Beasley looked like a key piece in Detroit, but once all of these allegations popped up, they swiftly pivoted, pulling their offer.
Despite all of this, Beasley will inevitably get another shot down the line, especially if he lights it up with his next club over the next six months (if a deal becomes official). Outside shooting and bench scoring are so coveted in today's game. Just last season, he had one of his most productive years, putting up 16.3 points while shooting 41.6 percent from deep on 9.3 tries per game. He'll get a call.
He also just turned 29, so he still has plenty of fuel left in the tank. For the time being, Beasley will be given the green light to prove he can still play. With no NBA teams calling him, taking a $2 million deal to play for the next six months doesn't sound so bad. He can at least continue to play the game and keep himself fresh.
The question at hand, though, is whether his six-month deal would contain an opt-out clause just in case an NBA opportunity did arise. Players often get these when they go overseas in the event that a roster spot opens, an injury takes place, or something else pops up that forces a team to look around for depth. Beasley may or may not get that.
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